Outsports Archives

The Philadelphia 76ers are 18-28. They're a game and a half (two games in the loss column) out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It's amazing that the East is so competitive the East really, really sucks — worse than even the most horrendous American Idol contestants. — Joe Guckin […]

Michael Irvin, despite no longer being a part of ESPN's NFL Countdown, is still sought out for his opinions on the NFL. This week, in Phoenix for the Super Bowl, he was twice asked about Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's recent statements on a blog that the Eagles need to get more playmakers. As usual when […]

A blog called "With Leather," describing itself as "a blog about all the assholes and idiots in the world of sports, and the hot chicks who date them" — a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one — received a nude photo of Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner from a tipster. (Pause while everyone clicks […]

In this day and age we often hear about athletes getting their own TV and radio shows. Usually, they're limited to the sport they play or perhaps on sports in general. I'd also hazard a guess that they're usually a little older and more experienced. So it was interesting to read this article today in […]

For those of you who think the Patriots' quarterback is hot, here's a new Stetson cologne ad: There's no word as to whether he was wearing a protective boot on his right foot…or any other kind of protection. — Joe Guckin For those of you who think the Patriots' quarterback is hot, here's a new […]

LeBron James is an Akron, Ohio native. He’s playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He's a very talented player and, speeding issues notwithstanding, seems to be a good person. However, he has a serious character flaw. Since childhood, he has been a fan of the New York Yankees instead of the hometown Indians. Last year he […]

Some of the new year’s first big horse-racing action hit two tracks today with the Sunshine Millions series. Sponsors of this mini-Breeders Cup series must have had some pull with the California weather man, because our big Pacific storm cleared just enough today for the Santa Anita half of the races to be held. The […]

Didn’t we all sense this coming? Yet no one seemed willing to admit it. Novak Djokovic ended Roger Federer’s streak of consecutive Grand Slam finals at ten by dismissing the world number one in straight sets in the Australian Open semifinals. Djokovic will now face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the Aussie Open crown. Both men are […]

Last night, I fell asleep while watching the late coverage of the Australian Open. Daniela Hantuchova, playing the best tennis of her life, was leading Ana Ivanovic 6-0, 2-0 as my eyes grew heavy. Just before drifting off, I had two assumptions: Hantuchova was on her way to her first Grand Slam final and, later […]

The Australian Open men’s semifinals are set and it finally feels as if the real tournament is about to begin. Roger Federer is two wins away from his 13th major victory. By advancing to the semifinals, his number one ranking should be safe regardless of the weekend's outcome, allowing him to focus on the immediate […]

The high-ankle sprain suffered by Sidney Crosby on Friday night will keep the Pittsburgh Penguins' star out for six to eight weeks, the team said today. With teams so tightly bunched in the conference standings, it doesn't take a long losing streak for a team to drop a few places. This could be a huge […]

At the start of the Australian Open, the hype centered around the three players who won Grand Slam titles in 2007: Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams. Shockingly, all three women were eliminated in the quarterfinals. It seems not so long ago that the Williams sisters were raising the bar in women's tennis, unbeatable […]

Herschel Walker, former NFL running back and Heisman trophy winner at Georgia, is writing a book in which he reveals he has a multiple personality disorder. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the book, “Breaking Free,” is due out in August and will detail Walker’s life with this condition. The book’s publicist at Simon & Schuster, […]

ESPN.com reports that the NFL will hold another regular season game in the United Kingdom. In October the Giants and Dolphins slogged through the mud at Wembley Stadium. Two or three other venues are being considered for 2008 in addition to Wembley, according to a source. Let's hope the field is in better shape this […]

The Australian Open has seen several prominent players dismissed early during the first week of play: Former Grand Slam champions Marat Safin, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport and Svetlana Kuznetsova have all been unceremoniously shown the exit. Roger Federer, meanwhile, has advanced to the fourth round, but only barely after a narrow defeat of […]

It’s hard to believe that the last man not named Federer or Nadal to win a major championship was Marat Safin, the enigmatic Russian with an explosive game and personality who won the Australian Open in 2005. That run to the title included a five-set win over Roger Federer in the semifinals that saw Safin […]

Forbes.com reports that a market researcher, The Marketing Arm, has come up with a list of America's top sports mascots, based on its' Davie-Brown Index — used by marketers to determine a celebrity's ability to influence brand identity with the public. It comes as no surprise to those of us who have watched him since […]

According to a report in the Times Union of Albany, recording artists Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean, as well as filmmaker Tyler Perry, were all named in an Albany, N.Y.-based steroids probe. The paper cited unidentified law enforcement officials who said the entertainers may have received or used performance-enhancing drugs. My […]

It’s a sad day in Dallas after the Cowboys’ latest playoff failure, a 21-17 loss to the visiting New York Giants. (That automatically makes it a very good day in Philadelphia.) It was so sad that Terrell Owens was driven to tears. Why? If you believe this column in Monday’s Philadelphia Daily News — and […]

Last month the Atlanta Hawks edged the Miami Heat in overtime, 117-111. However, the victory now doesn't count thanks to a screwup by the official scorer in Atlanta. With 3:42 left in the 4th quarter a foul was called on Miami's Udonis Haslem. However, the scorer recorded it as a foul on Shaquille O'Neal. So, […]